Shadow Pokémon: when to purify
TrainingLast checked 2026-10-31
In 3 lines
- Shadow Pokémon have 1.2× Attack but also take more damage, and they cost 1.2× Stardust and Candy to power up.
- Purifying raises each IV by 2 (up to 15), brings the level up to 25 if it's below 25, and cuts power-up costs to 0.9×.
- Keep strong attackers you'll rely on in raids as Shadow, and consider purifying for your Pokédex, for making a 100% Pokémon or for GO Battle League.
What Shadow Pokémon are
You can catch them by beating Team GO Rocket Grunts, Leaders and the Boss (Giovanni), or in Shadow Raids. They're wrapped in purple flames, and they can't be traded.
| Category | Shadow | Purified |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 1.2× | Normal |
| Defense | 0.83× (takes more damage) | Normal |
| Power-up Stardust and Candy | 1.2× | 0.9× |
| Second Charged Attack | 1.2× | 0.8× |
| IVs | Unchanged | +2 each (up to 15) |
| Level | Unchanged | Raised to 25 if below 25 |
Purification cost
Purifying costs Stardust and Candy, and the amount depends on the Pokémon's buddy distance.
| Buddy distance | Stardust | Candy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 1,000 | 1 |
| 3 km | 3,000 | 3 |
| 5 km | 5,000 | 5 |
| 20 km (Legendary, etc.) | 20,000 | 20 |
When to keep it Shadow
- Attackers that need to deal lots of damage in raids (for example, Shadow Mewtwo) are stronger as Shadow. Shadow Pokémon often rank near the top of the site's raid recommendations too.
- They faint easily, so rotate several of them in the same raid.
When to purify
- A Pokémon with IVs of 13/13/13 or higher becomes 100% (15/15/15) when you purify it.
- A low-level Shadow Pokémon jumps straight to level 25 when purified, which saves on power-up costs.
- Purifying changes the Shadow-only move Frustration into Return.
A Shadow Pokémon's Frustration can't normally be removed with a TM; it can only be changed with a Charged TM during specific events.
Checklist
- Keep raid attacker candidates (Pokémon with strong Attack) as Shadow
- Purify 13/13/13 or better to make it 100%
- Check the cost by buddy distance before purifying
Sources
- Bulbapedia: Shadow Pokémon — Shadow and Purified effects, purification cost
- Site data: Shadow and Purified multipliers are from the settings in the Game Master (PokeMiners) (config/rules.json)
Raids nowSee all
Related Pokémon & events
- Shadow Mewtwo
- Mewtwo
- Shadow Tyranitar
More in Training
- How to earn and save StardustStardust goes into power-ups, second Charged Attacks and trades, so you'll always be short. Deciding where to spend it first is the biggest way to save.
- How to use Candy and Candy XLYou collect Candy by catching, transferring, walking with your buddy, trading and hatching, and from level 40 you power up with Candy XL.
- What to power up first (power-up priorities for beginners)Stardust is limited, so first power up strong counters you'll use for a long time across many raids.
- TMs and how to learn exclusive moves (Elite TMs and Community Day moves)Fast TMs and Charged TMs change a move at random, and they can't teach exclusive moves such as Community Day moves.
- How to raise your Trainer level fast (earning XP)The fastest way is to activate a Lucky Egg (2× XP for 30 minutes) and do your evolving, catching and raids all at once.
- Evolution items and the Pokémon that use themSome Pokémon need an evolution item on top of Candy to evolve. The Sinnoh Stone is used for 18 species and the Unova Stone for 7.
- Every way to evolve Eevee (nicknames, Lure Modules and buddy)Eevee evolves into one of 8 Pokémon for 25 Candy, and you can choose the evolution you want by meeting its condition.
- Egg hatching guide (Eggs by distance and incubators)Eggs come in distances such as 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12 km. Put one in an incubator and walk that far, and a Pokémon hatches.
- Buddy Pokémon guide (Candy distance and Best Buddy)Walk with the Pokémon you set as your buddy and you get its Candy every set distance (1, 3, 5 or 20 km), which depends on the Pokémon.
Game rules and numbers can change, so each article shows when it was last checked. Articles are rechecked once that date is 6 months old. If you spot a mistake, let us know with 'Report an error' at the bottom of the page.